SleepyHeads Results (Different Mask)

[cAtLeYx]

Hi All.

Due to waking up for a few days with large bags under my eyes, I changed my mask last night from a Wisp Nasal to DreamWare pillow.

SleepHeads Results with Wisp Nasal mask

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SleepyHeads Results with DreamWare pillow

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Any comments on the above would be very much appreciated.

[Pugsy]

The difference in AHI is statistically insignificant. It can change more than that from night to night and not be changing anything.

You traded a few FLs and snores for hyponeas with the DreamWear.
FLs and snores aren't part of the AHI.
A slight increase in that minimum pressure would better help prevent those snores and FLs.

How was the sleep quality with the new mask and how was the eye baggage?

[cAtLeYx]

Hi Bugsy,

Thanks again for helping our here.

The DreamWare Pillow was brilliant, it felt like I wasn't wearing a mask at all. Real positive for me. I thought I'd slept very well and I think the bags are starting to shrink. I few more nights may be needed before I could make a positive comment. I did notice the air pressure seemed much less with the Nasal Pillow that it did wearing the Nasal Mask. Would that make any sense.?

Again, really appreciating your help.

[Pugsy]

The air flow dispersal does seem to change with the methods of delivery even thought the actual pressure doesn't change. I normally use a nasal pillow mask and when I tried the DreamWear I felt that the pressure was less and it took just a little bit of getting used to.
In reality it doesn't really change but it "feels" different.

[Pugsy]

One other thought...do you normally have problems with fluid retention?

[cAtLeYx]

Pugsy - I can honestly say no to water retention - I do think it was the Nasal mask. But will see.

To ask a simple question. Is the CPAP therapy working when I wear the DreamWare Mask even if the figures are higher.

[Pugsy]

Is the CPAP therapy working when I wear the DreamWare Mask even if the figures are higher

It depends on how much higher and yours would have to be a whole lot higher for it to make an impact on the therapy effectiveness. Variations in AHI are common from night to night even without changing the mask or pressures or whatever. We don't sleep the same each night and some changes are actually expected.
Like maybe you sleep on your back a little more or happen to get more REM (both supine and REM sleep are known to make OSA worse) and we can't control everything.

As long as there aren't huge differences and you aren't feeling hugely different then don't worry about minor fluctuations in the "numbers". The numbers are just a guideline anyway. An AHI of 0.0 doesn't guarantee much except a nice math score.
Remember less than 5.0 AHI is considered acceptable. You have a long way to go just to get to the 5.0.
Even now after all this time I still see nightly changes in my numbers...anywhere from 1 to 3 difference in AHI and sometimes when the aliens come visiting much higher than that.

The goal is to get good quality sleep with minimal issues (like your eye baggage) and feel decent and keep the AHI within acceptable numbers. The goal is NOT AHI of 0.0 especially if it comes at the expense of causing other problems.
Even people without a diagnosis of OSA will have a few apnea events of some sort....they just don't have as many as we do.

[cAtLeYx]

Thanks Pugsy - Panic Over.

Your reply has reassured me once again.

[fwesley]

Just want to know what software are you using to read your card? Is it free?

Thanks,

Faye

[Pugsy]

Just want to know what software are you using to read your card? Is it free?

SleepyHead was used in this situation. It is free and you can read about it and follow the links to get it here

https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

You don't mention which brand machine you are using...SleepyHead works well with the ResMed S9 and the AirSense/AirCurve models but if you are using the latest Respironics machine model called the DreamStation it won't work with it. Now the older PR System One models it does work well with.

So it is free but we can't tell you if it will work or not without knowing what machine you are using.

[palerider]

Just want to know what software are you using to read your card? Is it free?

sleepyhead, there's a link below in my sig.